Flap-trimming machine.



T. MIDGLEY. v FLAP TBIMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man AUG.13.1913. 1,1 90,3 1 5. Patented July 11, 1916.

- 3ISHEETS--SHEET 1.

T. IVHDGLEY.

FLAP TRIMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3. 1913.

Patented July 11, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N 174mm 1 W T. MIDGLEY.

FLAP TRIMMING MACHINE.

I ED AUGJS, I913.

Patented July 11, 1916.

3 SHEETS S ET 3.

Mum

THOMAS MIDGLEY, OE WORTHINGTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN 8c WEIGHT,

' DETROIT, 'MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

FLAP-TRIMMING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1916.

Application filed August 13, 1913. Seria1 No ?4, 530.

and useful Improvements in F lap-Trimming Machines; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

In the manufacture of automobile tire shoes it is common to applythereto a flap, attached at one edge around the interior of the tireshoe, the same when in operative position spanning the opening in thetire, shoe to better retain the inner tube in position. Said flaps areformed in substantially oval shape in cross area, and in the moldingoperation thereof there is produced on the edges a ragged excess ofmaterial, known as flash, which it is necessary to trim off before theflaps can be used. This trimming has been done heretofore by hand, andit is the object of the present invention to provide a machine forremoving expeditiously and effectually the same, the result beingaccomplished in the manner and by the means hereinafter described andclaimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine, the feed table forthe flaps being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of themachine, partly brokenaway. Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section takenon the line 3 3, Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged centrallongitudinal sectional view of the machine. Fig. 5 is a detail top planView of the feed table and its rollers,

parts being removed. Fig. 6 is an enlar ed detail transverse sectionalview ta on through the feed table at the rearedges of the band cutterknives. Fig. 7 is a detail front elevation of the adjusting mechanismfor band cutter wheel brackets.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the severalviews.

In the said drawings the reference numeral 1 denotes the frame of themachine, in which are mounted two horizontally disposed shafts 2carrying at their outer end the band wheels 3, and at their inner endsbein cared to a transverse drive shaft 4, to the rive wheel 5 of whichpower is applied,

in any suitable manner. Carriedby bracket 6, pivoted on shafts 2, aretwo shafts 7, upon the outerends of which band wheels 8 are mounted,corresponding with band wheels 3 and disposed above the latter. Thebearings ofsaid shafts 7 are carried in slides 9, which are adjustablevertically by means of hand wheels 10 and screws 11, in a manner wellunderstood; So also the inner ends of said shafts 7 may be adjustedvertically by means of the screw threaded rods 12 passing throughextensions 13 on brackets 6, said rods 12 being adjusted in saidextensions 13 by means of the set-nuts 14. As best seen in Fig. 7 thebrackets 6, which are pivotally supported from shafts 2, are adjustablelaterally at their upper ends by means of pinions 15 mounted on shafts16 in said brackets, said pinions'being in mesh with racks 17 supportedby the frame 1'. By means of a detachable crank 18 the brackets 6- thusmay be adjusted laterally at their upper ends, and to provide forlocking them in any adjusted position I provide bolts 19 in saidbrackets passing through elongated slots 20 in the extensions 21, whichalso carry the racks 17, set nuts 22 being provided for said boltswhereby when adjusted suitably said brackets 6 may be clamped. in'position. Passing around each pair of band wheels 3 and 8 is a bandcutter 23, the same being guided near the cutting point by means of arear grooved roller 24 and side guide rollers 25, mounted on a table 26supported by bracket 27 bolted to the frame 1. Also supported at itsinner end by said bracket 27 beneathv the table 26, is a horizontallydis posed support 28 conforming in cross area centrally on its uppersurface to the configuration of the flaps to be trimmed. Said support ismaintained at its outer end by legs 29, and has attached at intervals toits sides brackets 30 supporting shafts '31 to which are fixed bellcranks 32 carryin at their lower ends rollers 33 concaved to t theconfiguration of the central portion of support 28. Each shaft 31 hascoiled around it a spring 34 engaging its bracket 30 and the long arm ofits bell crank 32 in such manner as to force its roller 33 into contactwith the support 28. Therearmost roller 35 which is disposed beneath thetable 26 is in immediate proximity to the cutting points of the bandcutters 23, as seen in Figs. 4 and 6, the cutting edges of said bandcutters passing through the tangential points of contact of the edgesofsaid roller with the flap being fed. Further, as seen in Figs. 5 and6, the said band cutters 23 pass on opposite sides of and in immediateproximity to said roller which necessitates that its shaft 36 shall besupported centrally. Said roller, therefore, is formed in two partsbrought together on the shaft 36 to inclose the crank arm 37, a spring38 being interposed to cause said roller to act as do the rollers 33 andsaid crank arm 31' being pivotally supported by an arm 39 projectingfrom table 26. Pivotally connected with the upper arms of cranks 32 and37 isa horizontal bar 40 having a handle 41 at its outer end, and apivoted latch 42 adapted to rest on the shaft 31 of the outermost of therollers said latch being notched at 43 to engage said shaft 31 uponpulling said bar 40 to the left, which movement lifts rollers 33 and 35from contact with support 28 and against the tension of their springs 34and 38.

Mounted in a suitable bracket 44 bolted to the support 1 are the upperand lower feed rollers 45 and 46, the former being concaved and thelatter convexed, as shown best in Fig. 3, to receive the flap 47 to betrimmed. These rollers are disposed in alinement with the support 28,but back of the band cutters 23 and act to pull or drag the-flap throughthe machine and past the cutters 23, the. power being supplied theretoby a sprocket chain 48 running from a sprocket 49 on shaft 4 to sprocket50 on the shaft of the lower feed roller 46, said rollers beingconnected to rotate together by the gear wheels 51.

In operation the flap 47 which is to be trimmed is passed lengthwisealong the support 28 beneath the rollers 33 and the innermost roller 35.said rollers being first raised against the tension of their springs 34and 38 by a pull on the handle 41, which rocks the bell cranks 32 and37. As the flap 47 passes beneath the roller 35 its inner end may behooked by a piece of wire (not shown) which is passed through a groove52, turned in the lower feed roller 46 for that purpose, and thus vdrawnbetween said feed rollers 45 and 46 by which it is tightly gripped, saidfeed rollers serving in their rotation to draw along the said flap. Assoon as this engagement of the flap 47 by said feed rollers 45 and 46 iseffected the latch 42 is unhooked from shaft 31 thus releasing bar 40,whereupon the springs 34 and 38 will cause the rollers 33 and 35 tocontact with the underlying flap 47 andthus guide it in its passagethrough the machine. Byreferring to Fig. 4 it will be observed that theouttin edges of the band cutters 23 register with t e tangential pointsof contact of the edges of the roller 35 with the flap-to be trimmed,and by reference to Figs. 5 and 6 it will be seen also that said bandcutters pass through slots formed in the support 23 inimmediateproximity to said roller so that at the points where said band cutterssever the flash from the flap 47 said flap is held firmly againstdisplacement upon the convexed portion of the support 28 by said roller35, thus causing the band cutters 23 to effect a smooth even cut.

It will be apparent that by means of the hand wheels 10, the rods 12 andset nuts 14, and the pinions 15 and racks 17 any desired vertical,lateral or angular adjustment of the upper band wheels 8 may be effectedand such adjustment :nay be of any desired fineness.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a support for receiving andguiding endwise the material to be trimmed to the trimming point, -meansat the trimming point cooperating with said supporttor maintaining thematerial in position on said support, means for trimming the material atthe point of contact of the first named means therewith, and means fordrawing the material past the trimming point.

2. In a machine of the character described, a support for receiving andguiding endwise the material to be trimmed to the trimming point, aroller at the trimming point cooperating with said support formaintaining the material in position on said support, band cutters fortrimming the material and passing through the tangential points ofcontact of the roller therewith, and

' means for drawing the material past the trimming point.

3. In a machine of the character described, a support for receiving andguiding cndwise the material to be trimmed to the trimming point, saidsupport being shaped on its upper surface to conform to the shape of thematerial to be trimmed, a similarly shaped guide roller at the trimmingpoint for pressing upon the material on said support to maintain thesame in position thereon,

means for trimming the material and passing through the tangentialpoints of contact of the roller therewith, and means for drawing thematerial past the trimming point.

4. In a machine of the character described, a support for receiving andguiding endwise the material to be trimmed to the trimming point, saidsupport being shaped on its upper surface to conform to the shape of thematerial to be trimmed, a similarly shaped guide roller at the trimmingpoint forpressing upon the material on said support to maintain the samein position thereon, band cutters for trimming the material and passingthrough the tangential points of contact of the roller therewith, andmeans for drawing the material past the trimming point.

5. In a machine of the character described, a support for receiving andguiding endwise the material to be trimmed to the trimmin'g point, saidsup-port being shaped on its upper surface to conform to the shape ofthe material to be trimmed, similarly shaped spring pressed guiderollers for pressing upon the material on said support to maintain thesame in position thereon, means for simultaneously lifting said guiderollers from operative position, means for trimming the material, andmeans for drawing the material past the trimming point.-

6. he machine of the character described, a support for receiving andguiding end- Wise the material to be trimmed to the trimming point, saidsupport being shaped on its upper surface to conform to the shape of thematerial to be trimmed, similarly shaped spring pressed guide rollersfor pressing upon the material on said support to main: tain the same inposition thereon, means for simultaneously lifting said guide rollersfrom operative position, band cutters for trimming the material, andmeans for drawin the material past the trimming point.

In a machine of the character described, a support for receiving andguiding endwise the material to be trimmed-to the triming point, a ideroller located at the trimming point or pressing upon the material onthe support at that point to maintain the same in position thereon, bandcutters on opposite sides of said roller disposed with their cuttingedges passing through the tangential points of contact of said rollerwith the material, and means for drawing the material past the cuttingpoint.

8. 'In a machine of the character described, a' support for receivingand guiding endwise the material to be trimmed, said support extendingto the trimming point and being convexed on its upper surface to conformto the material to be trimmed, a guide roller located at the cuttingpoint and concaved to conform to the convexity of said support andspring pressed upon the material on said support, band cutterson-opposite sides of said roller disposed with their cutting edgespassing through the tangential points of contacts of said roller withthe material, and means for drawing the material past the cutting point.

9. In amachine of the character described, a support for receiving andguiding endwise the material to be trimmed to the trimming point, saidsupport being shaped on its upper surface to "conform to the shape ofthe material to be trimmed, similarly shaped guide rollers springpressed upon the material on said support to maintain the same inposition thereon, means for trimming the material, and co-acting rollersalso conjointly shaped to conform to=xt3-rriaterial and adapted to seizethe material and draw it past the trimming point.

101" In a' machine of the character described, a support for receivingand guiding endwise the material to be trimmed to the tring point, saidsupport being shaped on its upper surface to conform to the shape of thematerial to be trimmed, similarly shaped guide rollers spring pressedupon the material on said support to maintain the same in positionthereon, band cutters for trimming the materiahand co-acting rollersalso conjointly shaped to conform to the material and adapted to seizethe material and 'draw it past the trimming point.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set imy hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

'rHoMAs MIDGLE'Y.

Witnesses JOHN CARLsoN, J. H. SWIFT.

